Customized, high volume mail processing systems are used by financial institutions, insurance companies, public utilities, and various other businesses to prepare and mail letters and packages. Mail processing systems include mail inserting systems, sorting systems, and a range of modular attachments for increasing the productivity of large scale mail production operations. Mail insertion systems include a device known as a mail inserter, which physically "stuffs" individual envelopes with the appropriate contents. Many businesses, such as financial institutions and public utilities, often produce voluminous mailings on a routine basis. As such, mailings are often performed at various locations to reduce the load on any given location and to be closer to the destination of the mailings.
Unfortunately, monitoring and controlling remotely-located high volume mailing systems with existing control systems may be difficult. Existing control systems may not readily facilitate monitoring multiple remotely-located mailing systems from a central location. Furthermore, existing control systems may not readily facilitate monitoring various operating performance indicators of individual mail inserter devices within multiple remotely-located mailing systems.